'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. I' [‎772] (827/1050)

772
HASA
attached to it, which is reckoned by hours of flow ; the distribution of water conse
quently follows that of land and not hereditary tribal shares or any other
scheme of division. Water rights cannot be sold apart from land, for the
two are indissolubly connected and are necessarily transferred together. The
water is not subject to taxation, being regarded as u Mai Allah, " or a netural benefac
tion free to all who are landholders. Small striped or speckled fish exist in the stream.
Agriculture and livestock. —The cultivated parts of Hasa are a mass of date planta
tions interspersed with rice fields : every village possesses some date groves. The dates
are the most valuable .product of the oasis and are considered by the Arabs of
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to be the best in the world superior to those of Basrah and 'Oman; about
J are of the most steemed variety styled Khalas, and J are of the kind called Razaizi.
The average annual date crop of the Hasa oasis has been estimated at 51,000 tons.
Besides dates some rice is cultivated ; also lucerne and a " sour grass "— possibly a
sorrel—called Rashaidi. Wheat and barley are raised, part of the barley being grown in
winter without irrigation, in the desert portions of the oasis where there are semi-perma
nent Bedouin encampents ; but the cereals produced are not sufficient even for local
consumption. Sugar and indigo are not seen. The fruits of the oasis include the citron,
peach, apricot, fig, pomegranate, grape, sweet lime and sour lime : and there are also,
common vegetables such as radishes, onions and gkrlic, but both fruits and vegetables
are of poor quality.
The chief domestic animals are cattle, sheep, donkeys, horses and camels : despite the
swampy character of the country and its political connection with Turkish 'Iraq there
are nQ, buffaloes. Cattle are abundant, and there is said to be on the average a cow to
every house ; but sheep, which belong chiefly to the Bedouins, are not so plentiful as
in Najd. The donkeys which are in possession of the villagers, are estimated to
number about 3,000 of the famous white Hasa breed and about 10,000 of ordinary
breeds. Horses owned by villagers are about 100.
Communications, transport and supplies. —The main routes which traverse the Hasa
Oasis are described in the article upon the Hasa Sanjaq. Here it may be added that
travellers proceeding northwards from Hofuf do so by way of 'Ain Hamadah and
the Barr or desert to the westward, avoidinag the cultivated country.
Reliable estimates of the transport and supplies available in the oasis are not avail
able, but a rough indication of the nature and extent of its resources is contained in the
foregoing paragraphs.
Manufactures and trade. —These subjects are dealt within the article on the Hasa
Sanjaq except the trade in dates, the nature of which is explained by the
following table:—
Quantity in tons.
Disposal.
Remarks.
3,000
Exported to Jiddah via 'Oqair
The passage from 'Oqair to
Port and Basrah.
Basrah is by sailing boat. On
this route there is a saving in
1,000
Exported to Jiddah via Bahrain.
transhipment dues.
••
5,000
Exported to Bahrain.
For local consumption in
Bahrain.
2,000
Exported to Qatar.
For local consumption in Qatar.
40,000
Locally consumed in the Hasa Oasis
sold to Bedouins or exported
overland to Najd, Kuwait, etc.
None of the dates exported from the Hasa Oasis are boiled dates.